Monday, about 60 juniors and seniors from the Guadalupe Center Tutor Corps will meet some people in high places during the nonprofit’s annual Leadership Day.

Growing up in Immokalee normally would not afford students the opportunity to meet such people as Blake Gable, CEO of Barron Collier Companies, who is the keynote speaker for a day of learning and networking.

"We like to present a variety of different type of leaders that have done different things so that they can be exposed to different careers, different opportunities, different challenges.
and then figure out what path they would like to be on," said Guadalupe Center CEO and President Dawn Montecalvo.

A lawyer, bankers, a doctor, a Realtor, businessmen and women and others will conduct a day-long mentoring program for the students, who usually have plenty of questions.

"What helped them get to the point of what they're doing? [They're] asking for advice, asking for direction of how they did it and how that helped them. Their educational path and leadership skills and, the things that help you be resilient and networking and mentorships, things like that. More of what is that inner leadership that you need to succeed, those type things," she said.

Panelists and roundtable discussion leaders for the day include:

• Cynthia Lammert (Panel Moderator), JP Morgan
• Yerika Benitez, NCH Director of Critical Care
• Paige Gianneti, Gojo Industries Retired Engineer
• Jamie Goodman, Wilson & Johnson Attorney
• Patrick Brown, HBKS Wealth Advisors Portfolio Manager
• Karen Vilorio Muchnik, capital wealth advisors senior vice president | private wealth management
• Kristen Dimas, FSU Family Medicine Residency Program Associate Program Director & Faculty Physician
• Yamilca Gomez, FLVS Senior Manager of District Relations
• Erica Vitiello Swift, Swift Sells Naples Founder & Realtor
• Jaime Weisinger, Lipman Family Farms Director of Community and Government Relations

Many of the students will be the first in their families to attend college. Leadership Day allows them to envision their future success, according to the Immokalee-based center.

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